Method for Producing Polyester Nanocomposites

• US 20080113189A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Albany International Corporation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Original Assignee: Albany International Corporation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Inventors: Schadler-Feist, Linda S., Bhimaraj, Praveen, Siegel, Richard W., Toney, Crayton Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 8,436,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/339
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2367/02 Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; C08J2367/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/005 Reinforced macromolecular compounds with nanosized materials, e.g. nanoparticles, nanofibres, nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods or nanolayered materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2201/014 Additives containing two or more different additives of the same subgroup in C08K
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 9/04 Ingredients treated with organic substances treated with macromolecular compounds C08K9/08
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/00 Compositions of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain of polyester-amides C08L77/12; of polyester-imides C08L79/08; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component

Abstract

Polyester nanocomposites and methods of preparation thereof are presented.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a polyester nanocomposite comprising:

coating nanoparticles with a dicarboxylic acid;

combining the dicarboxylic acid coated nanoparticles with a coupling agent resulting in a first mixture; and

combining the first mixture with a polyester to form a polyester nanocomposite having a glass transition temperature greater than the polyester and a crystallization temperature less than the polyester.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the average particle size of the nanoparticles is in a range from 1 nm to 100 nm.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from a metal oxide, a non-metal oxide, a non-metal compound, a semimetal oxide, and a semi-metal compound.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the metal oxide is aluminum oxide.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the non-metal oxide is silicon oxide

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dicarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, o-phthalic acid, 1,3-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 4,4′

diphenyldicarboxylic acid, 4,4′

diphenylsulphonedicarboxylic acid, and diphenyl ether 4,4′

-dicarboxylic acid.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the dicarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, and o-phthalic acid.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of a carbodiimide, an epoxide, and an anhydride.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coupling agent is a carbodiimide.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polyester is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate), poly(ethylene dodecate), poly(butylene terephthalate), poly(ethylenenaphthalate), poly(ethylene 2,7-naphthalate), poly(methaphenylene isophthalate), poly(glycolic acid), poly(ethylene succinate), poly(ethylene adipate), poly(ethylene sebacate), poly(decamethylene azelate), poly(decamethylene sebacate), poly(dimethylpropiolactone), poly(ethylene isophthalate), poly(tetramethylene terephthalate), poly(hexamethylene terephthalate), poly(decamethylene terephthalate), poly(1,4-cyclohexane dimethylene terephthalate) (trans), poly(ethylene 1,5-naphthalate), poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate), and poly(1,4-cyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate).

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polyester is poly(ethylene terephthalate).

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dicarboxylic acid coated nanoparticles are combined with the coupling agent in a ratio in a range from 1:

2 to 1;

6.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are aluminum oxide, the dicarboxylic acid is terephthalate acid, and the coupling agent is polycarbodiimide.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polyester nanocomposite comprises from 4%-10% of the first mixture.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polyester is selected from at least one of a polyester copolymer and a polyester-polymer mixture.